dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
Sounds like a good plan, wiring the tree after you place it in the box is not a good plan. Do it now or don't do it. When planning to chop, i wouldn't fiddle to much with the tree.
JM Acer P Pruning Advice
- Thread starter ConorDash
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- acer palmatum japanese maple
This is interesting. For all I know, the issue is gone with it now, the problem (and what will cost me a year) is finding out for certain whether this health issue is gone or not. If I wait a month in spring, I'll find out but it'll be wrong time to chop. If I chop, I run the risk of losing the tree entirely.
What, for example, do you think I would find when repotting? Aside from dead roots, but I feel like I would have seen much much bigger problems, if that were the culprit.
Thanks. It's confidence building to have someone with more bonsai years, affirm the idea
.I didn't realise fiddling with the tree before the chop would make much of a difference? What kind of bad things could this cause? I don't doubt you at all, just good to learn for the future
.In that case, I might prune it a bit now and wire it perhaps. Waste of wire but it would be nice to get more proper experience with it.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
you'll want the roots to have a chance to secure their new roootage before you mess with it again after repotting. You can break new tender roots off if you do it after.
Conor, I still think it was a watering related issue and I would't be surprised if you found some forgotten field soil in the root ball. nothing more, nothing worse.
dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
Working on a tree or even give it another place in the garden will brake some of the new roots as Judy stated. Always think what you plan to do in the next coming years so optimal timing can be chosen. It's easy to win an extra year of growth every 3 years when doing things right. Always keep your goal in mind. Combining 2 goals at once is most of the time not the best thing to do. The health issue is most probably the result of a wet climate, not optimal growing medium and the inexperience to adapt watering accordingly. Watering is the most basic and yet the most difficult part in bonsai. There are so many variables influencing watering that we don't know when we start (first 5 years) bonsai. For every particular tree assume that watering will take 6 years to master, it becomes easy when you have a good growing medium and when you take time to think every time you water. Think about what happened the last 24 hours with your tree and envision what will be the needs in the coming 24 hours. Think about your growing medium, time of repot, container it is in (glazed / not glazed, box, plastic, pond basket), location of the roots, ground covering, wind, amount and age of foliage, temps, direct sun, season you're in, the goal you are after, and the species. Keep also the basic rule for developing trees: you water until it runs out of the pot again or you don't water at all. It becomes different with more mature trees. Watering becomes / is easy on developing trees when placed in good containers, good medium. You water every day and you will have no problem at all. The first years i was afraid to water and i did it only when they where dry-ish. Some species did well, other did not. Then again for a few years i did water everything as much as i could. Again some trees did fantastic, others did not. Now i'm to the point that i figured out for the trees that i have for some time how much water they need and i start looking at individual needs. Placing plants with higher needs together is a good way to start thinking and makes things fast and easy. Sorry for writing a longer than intended reply again.
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Watering for us is - basically 1 pass in the evening, start 4.30 p.m and 2 in the morning, start 5.30 to 6.00 a.m.
The evening watering allows the trees to go moist soil into the night, but the leaves are dry.
The morning allows full penetration of the water and it is dripping out of the drainage holes.
Full sun for those that need it, morning sun or half shade for those that prefer it.
We usually have a light breeze, all day.
When it rains x drops per minute for 20 minutes, no watering is needed. You can observe.
Watering is by hand - a 1.5 US gallon plastic watering can with a fine rose. = almost 1000 lbs daily
and 5 miles of walking for a day.
For around 37 years.
Good exercise.
Additionally if in a rush - a hose with a fine rose - falls like gentlea rain.
During the wet season, watering is by observation [ July to December 25th ]
Good Day
Anthony
The evening watering allows the trees to go moist soil into the night, but the leaves are dry.
The morning allows full penetration of the water and it is dripping out of the drainage holes.
Full sun for those that need it, morning sun or half shade for those that prefer it.
We usually have a light breeze, all day.
When it rains x drops per minute for 20 minutes, no watering is needed. You can observe.
Watering is by hand - a 1.5 US gallon plastic watering can with a fine rose. = almost 1000 lbs daily
and 5 miles of walking for a day.
For around 37 years.
Good exercise.
Additionally if in a rush - a hose with a fine rose - falls like gentlea rain.
During the wet season, watering is by observation [ July to December 25th ]
Good Day
Anthony
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks for that. of course, it makes sense now
. Strangely looking forward to making the box for it, I'll have to look that up, make sure I do it right!I'd love for that to be the case to be honest! Almost frustrating, if it was, as such a small thing caused a lot of issues but if that is the case, then perhaps the plan could be changed but I'll plan for the worst for now then change if better things happen
.Never bad to give a big reply. I always worry about myself doing it but I always like it lol. Thank you for the information.
The tree came from a poly tunnel and so I did believe it had problems transitioning from that environment, to my garden. But of course the issues persisted so, that lead to not knowing what the problem was. It could certainly be watering related, I am still very new to the practise. At the moment, this maple hasn't been watered in nearly a month I think. It's just not needed it, and it's been raining, colder weather. It's not using as much water but still getting it from rain. It was kept in shelter, not fully out. Now I have put it in the shed, so it can remain completely dry, in the hopes of getting it dry, as its concerning to me, how moist it has been for so long. The shed isn't completely air tight so it should remain airated, same temperature as outside but without the rain or wind.
All of what you directed, is what I hope to do and have been doing. Once I repot, I will be able to monitor and think better about its watering, something I look forward to.
Wow lovely drawing, thank you
. That'd be if I didn't chop it? Cos the trunk looks same and with the same wound.Also I think your watering would be really different to mine, we have very different climates I think. Usually mine I watered in the morning, but I've not been doing this for too long so I've not really nailed down a schedule. I know there are those who say it shouldn't be done on schedule then there's those who say it should. A debate that I'm sure people could go on about for years.
berobinson82
Omono
Howdy @ConorDash,
On watering, please don't forget that unless you are a bonsai professional or retired, what's touted the best watering strategy might not work for you. With careers, children, other hobbies and time sucks, not everyone has the ability to hand check each pot every day. Especially when you start having more and more trees in different stages in different areas of the garden. I can't water like Walter and I doubt you can either. It has to work for you, personally. Some folks need to have watering automated, else they'd never keep a tree alive.
Now back to clearing this pile of dead trees.
Cheers,
B
On watering, please don't forget that unless you are a bonsai professional or retired, what's touted the best watering strategy might not work for you. With careers, children, other hobbies and time sucks, not everyone has the ability to hand check each pot every day. Especially when you start having more and more trees in different stages in different areas of the garden. I can't water like Walter and I doubt you can either. It has to work for you, personally. Some folks need to have watering automated, else they'd never keep a tree alive.
Now back to clearing this pile of dead trees.
Cheers,
B
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes, Conor,
the drawing is a tracing off of your image.
It uses what you already have.
BUT it is up to you, and just a suggestion.
Best of growing.
Anthony
* Takes 3 to 5 years of daily going at it to master the Horticultural aspect of Bonsai = Health.
So get yourself about 300 cuttings and go for it
the drawing is a tracing off of your image.
It uses what you already have.
BUT it is up to you, and just a suggestion.
Best of growing.
Anthony
* Takes 3 to 5 years of daily going at it to master the Horticultural aspect of Bonsai = Health.
So get yourself about 300 cuttings and go for it
I understand, thank you
. On topic of Walter, it's actually a bit odd because most agree that watering should not be done on a schedule, it makes the most sense, however Walter says he sticks to a schedule. However, I think that's due to his being in non organic soil and he simply waters as much as he wants and it doesn't matter because excess runs through. But it is interesting.Yes, Conor,
the drawing is a tracing off of your image.
It uses what you already have.
BUT it is up to you, and just a suggestion.
Best of growing.
Anthony
* Takes 3 to 5 years of daily going at it to master the Horticultural aspect of Bonsai = Health.
So get yourself about 300 cuttings and go for it
Thanks
. Yeh I plan on getting many more trees to work on. Thanks again.Conor, it doesn't matter if you call it need or schedule. For example my trees are under a roof. I can't rely on rain. But here are some small factors to consider...Sun, wind, temperature, air humidity...
If it's colder I can water every 2nd-3rd day or every day, majority of my trees doesn't have problem with it in inorganic soil, but it would be wasting of water. If it's hot I water every day. Because the trees need it this way, no problem to call it every day or every other day schedule. So the schedules are based on need.
If it's colder I can water every 2nd-3rd day or every day, majority of my trees doesn't have problem with it in inorganic soil, but it would be wasting of water. If it's hot I water every day. Because the trees need it this way, no problem to call it every day or every other day schedule. So the schedules are based on need.
dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
As long as you adapt the schedule to the needs of the plants i see no problem with using a schedule. For example i water every morning from late spring to mid-summer. I check extra at evening in that period. Later or earlier in the season and i use another schedule. And for some trees i monitor them closely. One of the magic things of mr. Pall is that he allows the trees to grow before he cuts back. That is a good thing. Sometimes his trees look a bit wild and unrefined, for some is that a pro, for some a contra.
Yeah I understand, thanks for the info guys. It's something I've done a lot of research on, as it is one of the most important parts of bonsai.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
If something doesn't like my watering schedule....
It dies and I tend to not obtain another.
Sorce
It dies and I tend to not obtain another.
Sorce
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Not so!
But it is common....and I'm me.
You, have been there.
This actually reminds me of one or 2 of the previously let go JudyB trees.
Which if I recall....
Were all fairly priced close to the purchase price.
So @ConorDash you really have nothing to lose and all to gain! (if you don't kill it!)
And having even maybe just a toenail on a path similar to JudyB's is something I'm sure more than a few of us aspire to!
I mean, name someone else who is advancing a collection so on point...
Naaan.
Just Sorcin.
Saye
Not so!
But it is common....and I'm me.
You, have been there.
This actually reminds me of one or 2 of the previously let go JudyB trees.
Which if I recall....
Were all fairly priced close to the purchase price.
So @ConorDash you really have nothing to lose and all to gain! (if you don't kill it!)
And having even maybe just a toenail on a path similar to JudyB's is something I'm sure more than a few of us aspire to!
I mean, name someone else who is advancing a collection so on point...
Naaan.
Just Sorcin.
Saye
"Just Sorcin". I could see that becoming your official signing off note, or a popular saying around the forum..
I out my trust in people's experience here. A good number believed in chopping so I came round to the idea. I have too much care for the trees I buy. When you own one, makes you want it to succeed, no matter what, good or bad. I have to let go of that a bit in order to let them succeed and not be scare do for the big stuff, like chopping its head off!
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